I am new to the forum so here I go. I have been diagnosed for just over 5 years. Until recently I have been able to manage my condition to deliver a reasonable quality of life. I also have a condition having an enlarged prostrate which to date has not caused me any problems. That said I suffered a serious water retention recently which required me to wear a caffeter. After several consultations I have been presented with two options related to my prostate causing problems. One is wearing a caffeter for life, the second being surgery on the prostate to enlarge the uretha path. Here my problem I am advised in one consultation that prostate surgery is not recommended if the patient has PD a second consulation is that the surgery proposed has only a 40% success rate. Does anyone out there have experience of my situation and any advice etc?

Hello bertiallsort. My husband also has Parkinson’s and a benign enlarged prostate. He had urine retention three times at the outset in the weeks following his hip fracture which needed catheterization so we understand your dilemma. After the third occasion he started taking tamsulosin and the catheter was successfully removed 3 weeks later. Finasteride, a drug that shrinks the prostate, was added a couple of weeks later after he was seen in a urology clinic at the hospital. He has been taking both drugs for 18 months now.

Our GP recently asked the consultant urologist for advice about the longer term because of concerns about the safety of Finasteride, and he advised my husband could continue both drugs indefinitely if he had no side effects, the alternative being surgery. He’s chosen to continue with the drugs as they work well for him. Has your doctor suggested trying drugs? Might be worth asking if not. I have also seen a report recently of a newly-approved treatment for the condition, more successful and less invasive, but only available in a few places at the moment. I’ll try to find the link for you.

I really appreciate your taking time to let me know your experience as I can readily identify with your reply. I feel I can move forward with a degree of confidence. Having had input from yourselves and several other sources, I have decided to persevere with taking the medication together with regular catheter removal tests to see if I can function without it. Prior to my prostate problems my wife and I were managing my PD condition fairly well and I hope I can get back to that state once again. Thanks again for your reply, it was very helpful. BertieAllsort